Caught On Camera: Indian Journalist Heckled By Khalistan Supporters In US, Embassy Condemns Attack

Indian journalist Lalit Jha on Sunday thanked the US Secret Service for protecting him and helping him do his job, stating that he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by the Khalistani supporters.

New Delhi: Indian journalist Lalit K Jha, based in Washington DC, was physically attacked and verbally abused by Khalistani supporters during a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy on Saturday.

A video shared by ANI, sourced from the Indian journalist Lalit Jha, also showed the Khalistani supporters abusing the Indian government and PM Narendra Modi.

The video contains abusive language, viewers discretion is advised.

Jha on Sunday thanked the US Secret Service for protecting him and helping him do his job, stating that he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by the Khalistani supporters. 

"Thank you @SecretService 4 my protection 2day 4 helping do my job, otherwise I would have been writing this from hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks & earlier I had to call 9/11 & rushed 2 police van 4 safety fearing physical assault," Jha tweeted on Sunday.

"At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I then spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them," Jha told ANI, adding that the protesters took charge of the situation.

The Indian mission in the US condemned the "grave and unwarranted attack" and said, "Such activities only underscore the violent and anti-social tendencies of the so called ‘Khalistani protestors’ and their supporters, who routinely engage in wanton violence and vandalism."

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna condemned the act tweeting, "This violence against @lalitkjha is outrageous and an assault on journalism. I condemn it in the strongest terms. Lalit is one of the fairest and most thoughtful journalists. Thank you to our security for protecting Lalit and the diplomats and consulate."

The journalist, however, decided to take no action against those who heckled him.

"The pro-Khalistan protesters in support of Amritpal (Singh) waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu," Jha told ANI.

The pro-Khalistan protesters in support of Amritpal Singh waved Khalistan flags and threatened to vandalize the embassy while also threatening the Indian Ambassador, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Protesters included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. The organizers used microphones to make anti-India speeches both in English and Punjabi, targeting the Punjab Police for alleged human rights violations.

Multiple events of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco Consulate, with the latter being attacked on March 20.

Visuals shared online showed a large mob brandishing Khalistan flags mounted on wooden poles and using them to smash glass doors and windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke through the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two Khalistani flags inside the premises.

The United States has condemned the attack against the Indian consulate in San Francisco and pledged to defend the safety and security of such diplomatic facilities and the diplomats who work there.

"The United States condemns the attack against the Indian Consulate and any attack against diplomatic facilities within the United States. We pledge to defend the safety and security of these facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them," a US State Department spokesperson told ANI.

The US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, said on Twitter that the US is committed to the safety and security of Indian diplomats.

He confirmed that the US State Department is in touch with the local law enforcement authorities.

(With ANI inputs)